By James
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As political conversations begin to gather momentum across Okigwe Zone, Chief Marcus Enwerem, a prominent stakeholder and community advocate has called on the people to stop placing blind faith in big political parties and entrenched political structures that, according to him, have repeatedly failed the region.
In this exclusive interview with Panorama News, the elder statesman warned that many of the so-called established political platforms have become factories of deception, godfatherism, corruption and empty promises, producing leaders, who appear only during elections and disappear immediately after victory.
According to him, the time has come for Okigwe people to embrace fresh ideas, independent thinking and visionary leadership capable of rescuing the zone from years of stagnation, neglect and political manipulation.
“Okigwe people must wake up,” he declared. “For too long, we have been chained to political structures that are neither interested in development nor the future of our people. These parties have become marketplaces where tickets are sold to the highest bidder while competence, vision and sincerity are sacrificed.”
The stakeholder lamented that despite years of political loyalty to dominant parties, many communities across the zone still battle bad roads, unemployment, insecurity, poor infrastructure and growing hopelessness among youths.
“We cannot continue recycling the same politics and expect a different result,” he said. “The era where people vote simply because of party symbols or political godfathers must end. Those structures have failed Nigeria and they have failed Okigwe.”
He further accused many career politicians of weaponising poverty during elections through tokenism and emotional manipulation while lacking any genuine long-term blueprint for transformation.
“Every election season, they come with rice, wrappers, cash and loud promises. After winning, the people are abandoned again. Development is replaced with propaganda. Governance becomes business. Public service becomes personal enrichment,” he added.
Speaking on the growing call for alternative leadership models, the stakeholder pointed to the emerging ideas being canvassed by Attorney Charles Onyirimba as an example of the kind of political reawakening Okigwe desperately needs.
According to him, Onyirimba represents a shift from transactional politics to transformational leadership rooted in vision, accountability, empowerment and people-centred governance.
“What many people find attractive about Charles Onyirimba is not just ambition, but the message he is bringing. He is speaking about redirecting Okigwe from darkness to light; from neglect to development; from division to unity; from political slavery to strategic progress.”
He noted that younger generations across the zone are becoming increasingly frustrated with old political habits and are now searching for leaders with fresh thinking, global exposure and practical solutions.
“Our people are tired of politics without results. They are tired of leaders who only remember villages during campaigns. They are tired of structures built around individuals instead of the collective destiny of the people.”
The stakeholder insisted that the future of Okigwe cannot be entrusted to politicians whose only strength lies in party machinery and elite connections.
“What Okigwe needs now is courage to think differently. We must stop worshipping political structures that have produced poverty, underdevelopment and silence in the face of suffering. The salvation of our people will not come from recycled promises but from a new vision driven by competence, sincerity and genuine commitment.”
Enwerem added that democracy does not fail only because of bad leaders; it also weakens when good people stay silent, refuse to register, or sit at home on election day.
“Every uncollected voter card and every unused vote creates space for political manipulators, vote merchants, and election riggers to continue their dangerous craft unchecked,” he said.
“Those who thrive on corruption and deception are always counting on public apathy, fear, and frustration to keep citizens away from the polls. That is why the people must rise beyond complaints and become active participants in shaping their future. Register to vote.
“Collect your PVC. Encourage others to do the same. Then come out massively on election day and defend the sanctity of your mandate peacefully and lawfully. A people who refuse to vote surrender their future to those who have mastered the politics of darkness, but a determined electorate can break the chains of manipulation and reclaim the power that truly belongs to them.”
He concluded by urging youths, professionals, traditional leaders and women across the zone to become more politically conscious and refuse to mortgage the future of the region for temporary political inducements.
“The light that Okigwe seeks will not come from old deceptive politics. It will come when the people themselves decide to reject fear, reject manipulation and embrace a new direction. This is the time to choose vision over propaganda and substance over empty slogans.”
